Mia Mayhem Learns to Fly! Read online

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1 IN THE DOGHOUSE

  CHAPTER 2 THE WIND TUNNEL

  CHAPTER 3 PAWSITIVELY HEROIC

  CHAPTER 4 THE NEW MISSION

  CHAPTER 5 CHAOS IN THE COMPASS

  CHAPTER 6 THE TEAM GETS BIGGER

  CHAPTER 7 FLYING! OR . . . SORT OF

  CHAPTER 8 EDDIE’S WILD RIDE

  CHAPTER 9 THE FINAL DESTINATION

  CHAPTER 10 THE DREAM TEAM

  ‘MIA MAYHEM VS. THE SUPER BULLY’ TEASER

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR

  CHAPTER 1

  IN THE DOGHOUSE

  Most cats like to lay in the sun or scratch at things or take naps.

  But not my cat: Chaos is her name, and chaos is her game. On a typical afternoon, she’ll excitedly zoom around the kitchen, knock over a honey bottle, and then land right in the middle of it.

  And as you can see, that’s exactly what just happened.

  Chaos doesn’t really mean to cause trouble. And I should know. I have a bit of a reputation for causing chaos and mayhem myself.

  Oh, I should probably explain before I go on. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mia Macarooney.

  During the day, I attend Normal Elementary School. But as soon as the school bell rings, I’m Mia Mayhem—the world’s newest superhero!

  For real. Yours truly has superpowers!

  And guess what? I’m going to learn how to fly!

  And that means when regular school ends, I head straight to the Program for In Training Superheroes aka the PITS! But today, my flying class was starting late, so I ran home to make a honey and peanut butter sandwich.

  Sounds like a great idea, right?

  I thought so too. But as you can see, things can get pretty sticky real fast if you have a curious cat like mine.

  I may have superpowers, but cleaning a whole jar of honey off a crazy cat? That’s a job for a professional.

  So I rushed Chaos over to my dad’s animal clinic.

  He’s really good with animals. And I don’t just mean as a veterinarian.

  Here’s the deal: He’s a superhero too! Both my parents are.

  Just like me, my mom and dad lead ordinary lives in order to protect their secret identities. Most of the time, our lives are pretty quiet. But turns out today was not the best time for a vet visit. The office was busy because the Downtown Dog Palooza, our town’s annual dog show, was tomorrow.

  I nervously looked at the clock. I was going to be late for class. But luckily, my dad cleaned up Chaos in a flash.

  I led my cat back into her carrier and sped out the door without looking back. I had to get to the PITS before the last bell.

  Thankfully, I didn’t have to go too far because the PITS building was right next to my regular school! All my life, I thought it was just an empty warehouse . . . but everything changed when I found out I was a superhero!

  Turns out that this normal old warehouse is the coolest place ever! (But more on that later.)

  When I arrived at the front entrance, I grabbed my supersuit from my bag and spun around.

  This new quick-superhero-change trick took a lot of practice. I held out my hand to Chaos for a fist bump, but when I looked down . . . Chaos wasn’t the only animal there!

  There was a pack of dogs excitedly panting all around me. Somehow we’d been followed! I instantly regretted not making sure the door was closed after leaving the clinic.

  I looked around nervously. There was only one I recognized—my best friend’s dog, Pax.

  WOOF! Pax jumped on me so hard that I fell back.

  When I picked myself up, that’s when I heard it.

  Someone was coming, and I had to think fast . . . or we would all be seen!

  I quickly straightened the crooked DO NOT ENTER sign—which opened the secret entrance to the PITS—and scanned myself in.

  As the door opened, Chaos pawed her way out of the carrier and raced into the building—with the pack of dogs right behind her!

  Oh boy. I was in the doghouse now.

  CHAPTER 2

  THE WIND TUNNEL

  I chased after Chaos and the dogs into the main lobby. The center of the tall building, also known as the Compass, was bustling with superheroes. I thought that I’d get in trouble for bringing in a pack of loose animals, but no one stopped us!

  I think that’s because everyone here has seen weirder things.

  The PITS is a top secret superhero-training academy that offers classes in every super-skill, from flying to foreign languages. (That’s the class where you learn how to talk to animals.)

  And look—I almost crashed into someone who was shooting heat lasers into a wall. This place is the coolest!

  So I guess seeing a pack of adorable dogs chasing a speedy cat is . . . actually normal.

  When I finally got to Professor Wingum’s flying class, he didn’t ask any questions or even get angry!

  “Ah, Mia, you’re here!” he said with a smile. “Please join us. I don’t mind watching your furry friends.”

  I thanked him and let out a huge sigh of relief. Then I ran over to my classmates.

  “Everyone, welcome to Flying 101!” Professor Wingum said as he scratched a big black Great Dane behind the ears. “Today’s lesson is the wind tunnel.”

  In the center of the room was a long, clear glass cylinder with a steel frame. Professor Wingum walked over to it and pushed a round white button on the control panel. The vents at the top, bottom, and sides of the tunnel instantly turned on.

  “Your mission is to fly against the wind. This helps build core strength,” Professor Wingum began. “Since this is a beginner-level class, there are no obstacles. But it is timed. If you take too long, an alarm will go off. The key is to stay focused and balanced while keeping a steady speed.”

  I looked around to see if any of my peers looked as nervous as me.

  Now, I know flying sounds really cool, but it’s actually way harder than it looks. In my first flying class ever, I was saved by . . . that kid!

  “Class, please say hi to Penn Powers!” Professor Wingum announced excitedly. “He’ll be showing us how it’s done.”

  I immediately hid behind the tallest kid in class. The last time I had seen Penn, I was stuck on a really long rope. It was super-embarrassing.

  Penn Powers walked into the tunnel. Everyone watched in awe as he easily flew against the powerful wind. He even did a bunch of fancy flips!

  When he came out, he bowed as kids burst into applause.

  After that I was glad I was going last. Maybe my nerves would calm down before it was my turn.

  Some kids had a hard time and other kids did okay, but no one flew as well as Penn. Soon, it was my turn. I stepped into the tunnel, and my stomach dropped to the floor. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Then I bent down to push off—when suddenly, I felt something soft brush against my leg.

  “Chaos!” I yelled as my cat was swept into the wind tunnel. Without thinking, I jumped in after her.

  As we tumbled through the air, I wondered if this day could get any worse. And then it did.

  Because all the dogs jumped in too!

  CHAPTER 3

  PAWSITIVELY HEROIC

  So there I was. Trapped in a giant wind tunnel, rolling around with my crazy cat and a pack of adorable dogs.

  This was not one of my best moments—that was for sure.

  But turns out that there was one good thing about all this. Looking at Chaos’s scaredy-cat face, I realized that it was up to me to save the day.

  I held my arms out in front of me and leaned forward as hard as I could. And it totally worked!

  I flew toward Chaos, and before I kn
ew it I was so close that I could almost touch her.

  But then someone else grabbed her!

  I looked up and saw Penn Powers, holding my cat.

  And the thing is, he wasn’t just holding Chaos. I watched as Penn started gathering all the floating dogs, too.

  He put a bunch of dogs on his back as he held more in his arms. I could tell it was too much. Even for him.

  “Hey, Penn! Let me help!” I yelled. I may not be great at flying yet, but I knew I was strong. After all, during my PITS placement test, I lifted an elephant and a car!

  “No, I got it!” he replied. “Just make sure to fly through the exit before your timer goes off!”

  “Penn, this is too much weight to handle by yourself!” I tried again.

  But he just waved me on and grabbed another dog . . . which was exactly one dog too many! Penn lost his balance and tumbled backward, dropping all the animals.

  An alarm blared through the tunnel. I needed to do something NOW.

  That’s when I remembered Professor Wingum’s advice: The key to flying was staying balanced and steady.

  I sped over to Chaos. Then I found Pax and linked their paws together.

  “Hold on to one another!” I yelled as I connected more animals, paw by paw.

  Soon, all the dogs were lined up, with Chaos in the front. Penn was over on the side when I shouted after him. “Hey, Penn!” I called out. “I’ll push from the back. Can you help too?”

  “Got it,” he replied, quickly catching on to my plan.

  Penn grabbed both of Chaos’s paws. With all the strength I had, I pushed us ahead while Penn pulled. And we flew out of the tunnel just as the seconds on the timer went down to zero.

  CHAPTER 4

  THE NEW MISSION

  “Excellent job, Mia!” Professor Wingum cried as a bunch of kids gave me high-fives.

  “Class, Mia just showed us what it takes to be a great superhero! She made a plan, acted quickly, and got everyone to safety!”

  Professor Wingum gave me two big thumbs-up.

  That’s when it hit me. I’d been so focused on getting out of the tunnel . . . I didn’t realize I was flying!

  “I really flew!” I exclaimed happily.

  “You sure did!” Wingum replied. “Your action in the face of danger helped you overcome your fears! This is known as the superhero instinct—or learning to trust yourself. All of you have it. We just teach you how to listen to it.”

  Chaos purred happily as she nuzzled against my leg.

  “One important thing about trusting yourself is also knowing when to trust others, too,” Wingum continued as he locked eyes with Penn. “Sometimes, even the greatest superheroes need help. Teamwork was the key to Mia and Penn’s success.”

  I gave Penn a quick smile. I was so glad we made it out okay. But he just looked away!

  I wondered if I had made a mistake.

  “So why are there random dogs here, anyway?” Penn asked, clearly annoyed.

  “Oh, they followed my cat and me from the clinic,” I explained.

  “Ha! Why am I not surprised?” Penn muttered under his breath.

  My face grew hot as a few classmates quietly snickered. Immediately, I went from being super-proud to super-embarrassed. I may have helped solve the dog problem, but I had to admit, I was the one who brought the dogs in the first place.

  “Attention, everyone. Looks like our time is up,” Professor Wingum said. “Fantastic job flying today. It’s a great start! But for now, you’ll all have to walk home.”

  As everyone left, Wingum motioned for Penn and me to stay behind.

  “Amazing teamwork today—both of you,” he cried. “But I’m afraid the job is only half done. These pooches don’t belong here.”

  “Yes, they don’t. These pups were all getting groomed for the Downtown Dog Palooza at the vet,” I explained.

  “Well, good thing the wind tunnel gave them these amazing blowouts!” Wingum said with a laugh.

  I looked over, and he sure was right. They all looked absolutely fabulous!

  “Ha! Good luck with getting those dogs back,” Penn said with a smirk.

  “Oh, no, Penn, you’re not off the hook,” Professor Wingum corrected. “Returning these pups is the new mission for both of you.”

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAOS IN THE COMPASS

  Penn and I walked out to the Compass in awkward silence. As I struggled to get Chaos into her carrier, I had a bad feeling this mission was doomed for failure.

  Because here’s the thing: A pack of rowdy animals isn’t easy to control. Especially when they’re super cute!

  “Hey, Mia! You are wasting your time!” Penn yelled as I sped past him.

  “But we need to get all the dogs to line up!” I cried. With Chaos’s carrier still in my other hand, I rushed over to Pax, who was getting a tummy rub.

  “There are just way too many distractions,” Penn said.

  I looked around the lobby. He was right. Rounding up these curious pups with all these superheroes walking around was going to be difficult.

  “Watch and learn,” Penn declared.

  Then he took a deep breath and put his thumb and pointer finger up against his lips.

  A loud high-pitched whistle echoed through the halls as a bright blue shiny dome covered the lobby. All the animals immediately sat straight up.

  “Now that is how you get an animal’s attention,” Penn said matter-of-factly. “By controlling the sound waves they hear!”

  I quietly watched Chaos and the dogs calmly follow Penn’s voice. He may not be the easiest person to work with, but he definitely knew his stuff.

  “Nice job, Penn,” I said “Since the dogs always follow Chaos, I’ll take the lead. You should watch from the back.”

  “No, I should go first,” Penn argued. “You follow us.”

  Penn and I argued back and forth until the front door suddenly slid open . . . and Chaos jumped out again and dashed out the building! And just like earlier, all the dogs ran after her!

  This time Penn and I both froze in shock.

  Oh boy. Chaos was going to be the leader whether we liked it or not.

  CHAPTER 6

  THE TEAM GETS BIGGER

  By the time we ran outside, the dogs and Chaos were long gone. I paced back and forth in a panic when I heard the same noise from earlier.

  Oh no! Someone was here, and the PITS door had disappeared!

  I quickly hid under my cape, wishing everything would just freeze.

  And then . . . everything did freeze.

  Whoa. I knew I could pause things with my hands, but this was the first time it worked with me just thinking about it.

  I know we’re in a hurry, but since things are on hold, let’s back up for a second.

  Remember how I said Pax’s owner was my best friend?

  Well, TA-DA! Here he is!

  Please allow me to introduce you to Edison Stein—or Eddie for short.

  I don’t know what he’s doing here, but I should probably unfreeze him and Penn now.

  I moved my cape, and thankfully, everything unfroze. I’ll really have to figure out how I did that later.

  “I—I’m just looking for my . . . dog,” Eddie stuttered nervously.

  “Eddie, it’s okay!” I said calmly. “You’re right. Pax was here!”

  All the color drained from Eddie’s face.

  “Who are you? How do you know me and my dog?” he asked.

  I took a second to think carefully.

  Other than my parents, Eddie was the only other person who knew my super-secret. But he had never seen me in my supersuit before!

  “Eddie, please don’t freak out. But it’s me—Mia! Or right now, I guess I’m Mia Mayhem!”

  Eddie continued to back away.

  “Oh, come on. It really is me. I can prove it!”

  Then I grabbed his hand and gave him our secret handshake. Thankfully, that made Eddie break into a smile.

  “Mia—it is you! Your
suit is SO SUPERCOOL!” he cried.

  “Oh, Eddie!” I exclaimed exhaustedly. “Today has been a disaster! And we just lost a bunch of rowdy dogs . . . including Pax!”

  “Well, good thing I know exactly where Pax is!” Eddie cried, holding up a tracker that he built. Eddie was really smart and always liked tinkering with things.

  “Perfect!” I cried happily. “Since Pax loves other dogs, once we find him—”

  “We’ll find them all!” Penn piped in excitedly.

  Eddie looked over his shoulder in shock. He’d been so caught off guard by me that he hadn’t noticed there was another superhero right next to him!

  “Very pleased to meet you, Eddie. My name is Penn Powers!” Penn said as they shook hands. “Now let’s go save those pups!”

  CHAPTER 7

  FLYING! OR . . . SORT OF

  The tracker led us to Eddie’s house. We didn’t know if Pax was inside, but Eddie waved at us to follow him.

  “Um, Eddie,” I said, “if your parents are home, we can’t just walk into your house like this!”

  “Oh right,” he replied with a laugh. “Okay, wait here. I’ll check for the dogs.”

  I nodded as Penn started pacing pack and forth.

  “Which room is Eddie’s?” he asked. Penn did not like waiting around. After all, he was a superhero. And he needed to take charge.